Left for Dead Came Back for Everything novel Chapter 1

After the distress call went out, Eliza Shaw never expected he would be the one to show up.

Zander Roth.

Her childhood friend and ex-husband of five years.

A sudden pang struck Eliza's heart, an overwhelming wave of bitterness washing over her.

"Give me your hand."

The moment he saw her, Zander's gaze faltered, but the emotion quickly vanished behind his usual cold facade.

He reached out, pulling her from the trapped elevator. "How long were you stuck?"

"An hour." Eliza offered a polite, distant smile, maintaining her composure. "My phone only got a signal fifteen minutes ago. I didn't expect you to be the firefighter responding."

Zander nodded, his dark eyes dropping downward.

After a long pause, he finally spoke. "How is your leg?"

Eliza fought back the tears threatening to blur her vision and stayed silent.

Ever since the earthquake three years ago, her left leg had never fully recovered.

The quake had struck without warning, burying Eliza beneath the collapsing building before she could even react.

She had trembled uncontrollably, her entire body feeling as though every bone had shattered, completely numb and disconnected.

Her left leg, in particular, had been completely crushed.

Tasting blood in the back of her throat, her vision had gone black as she passed out.

When she finally opened her eyes, Yvonne Vance, who was trapped nearby, suddenly screamed.

"Zander, I'm over here! Help me!"

Hearing her voice, Zander had sprinted over.

The color had drained completely from his face, his usually stoic expression twisting in panic.

A crew member behind him had yelled, "Boss, we're out of time! The experts say another aftershock is hitting in fifteen minutes. We can only save one!"

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